"The fact that Huawei chose Malaysia to build this centre is great honour, but I would like to think that it is a reflection of the increasingly important role we (Malaysia) play in the global marketplace," the prime minister said.

The opening of Huawei MGTC here also signified a further strenghtening of bilateral and investment ties between China and Malaysia, he said.

The Huawei MGTC is designed to provide the latest telecommunication and ICT technology training to Huawei's global customers all the way from Asia-Pasific to the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

It aims at positioning Malaysia as the venue for global professional training in next generation ICT technologies, and is expected to contribute RM1.2 billion in Gross National Income (GNI) by 2020.

Najib said the commitment was being realised through a host of talent programmes such as the Huawei Reference Training Lab in K-Worker Development Centre that was established in collaboration with the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), and the MSC Malaysia MyUniAlliance that includes Train-the-Trainer, curriculum courseware and Huawei University Training Lab in partnership with 10 local universities.

These programme would ensure that more Malaysians would be trained and equipped with the latest know-how in telecommunications and ICT.

Huawei is a leading global ICT solutions provider with global revenue of roughly US$35 billion and 150,000 employees.

Last year, it signed an agreement with the Malaysian government to develop 10,000 ICT professionals over the period of five years and to develop their talent in order to achieve a knowledge and innovation-driven economy.

Today, Huawei also signed an agreement with 10 local universities that will initiate the setting up of Huawei University Training Lab under the MSC Malaysia MuUniAlliance (Huawei) programme in each of the universities to further cultivate the interest of students in the field of next generation ICT technologies.

The prime minister said prudent and intelligent stewardship had resulted in Malaysia moving away from its agricultural nation into a modern and dynamic economic force.

As it stood on the brink of becoming a developed nation, targeted to achieve by 2020, he said, the country entered a crucial phase of transformation where the challenge doesn't get any easier.

"That is why, in making that final push, Malaysia must make every effort to cultivate a knowledge-intensive and innovation-led economy," he said.

Najib said he introduced the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) which identifies 12 key areas with the potential to drive economic growth and 131 Entry Point Projects (EPPs), to kick start development across those sectors.

He said the ETP's aim was simple -- to drive growth, investment and create jobs without neglecting to take account the complexity of modern economy and in particular, the fact that digital technology continues to exert an increasing influence in every aspect of our lives from business and entertainment to communications and interactions.

"The digital economy now accounts for more than a third of global trade, while total worldwide ICT spending is expected to grow by 3.7 per cent to US$3.8 trillion this year, and this is why alongside the ETP, the Multimedia Development Corporation or MDeC has been tasked with driving Digital Malaysia," he said.